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Kitchen of the Week: Light, Chalkboard and Midcentury Style
Salvaged chalkboard countertops and walnut veneer star in an ecofriendly renovation of a Seattle family's midcentury kitchen
This kitchen in Seattle's Blue Ridge neighborhood was in desperate need of a makeover, and the owners wanted to maintain the feel of their midcentury home while adding storage, new appliances and a fresh look.
Geoff Piper, lead designer Stephanie Ingram and the team at Fivedot Design Build opened up the 100-square-foot kitchen to the adjacent rooms for a combined cooking, entertaining and living space. Ecofriendly cabinetry, salvaged chalkboard countertops and stainless steel appliances were all installed for a classic and functional look that blends with the rest of the home's design.
Geoff Piper, lead designer Stephanie Ingram and the team at Fivedot Design Build opened up the 100-square-foot kitchen to the adjacent rooms for a combined cooking, entertaining and living space. Ecofriendly cabinetry, salvaged chalkboard countertops and stainless steel appliances were all installed for a classic and functional look that blends with the rest of the home's design.
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| Three walls of large windows open the kitchen to natural light. Piper replaced the home's original single-pane windows to help the kitchen maintain a more consistent temperature in Seattle's chilly winters. Initially, the window walls presented some challenges to the electrical work. The home's midcentury roof construction meant there was no clear way to run wiring into the ceiling, and the windows prevented using the walls. "We had to do some very creative wiring and use some exposed conduit to get the lights and switches where we wanted them," says Piper. Countertop and bar top: ReStore; bar stools: Modernica Case Study Dowel Barstool |
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| Using materials that are kind to the environment, and the family's health, was important to Piper. The smooth black countertop is made of repurposed school chalkboards from a local salvage supply store. After being cut to size and their edges smoothed, they were finished with mineral oil for an easy-to-clean surface. Ecofriendly cabinetry made out of plywood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and formaldehyde-free glue is topped with a beautiful walnut veneer. Piper had the cabinets finished with a UV-cured material that eliminates all volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Bright turquoise and orange accents inside some of the shelving add a playful touch without becoming overwhelming. Read more about ecofriendly kitchen cabinets Cabinetry, shelving: Kerf Design; refrigerator: KitchenAid |
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BEFORE: Outdated cabinetry took up visual space in the kitchen but didn't offer enough storage for the family. Piper and his team carefully planned the new space around the family's storage and space needs.
"We spent quite a bit of time thinking about where each little item would go, but ended up deciding that it was better to design a good, basic kitchen with storage that could be flexible," says Piper. "Too many specific storage solutions would have resulted in a bit of a disjointed design." Instead, the team opted for large drawers that can be divided as needed.
"We spent quite a bit of time thinking about where each little item would go, but ended up deciding that it was better to design a good, basic kitchen with storage that could be flexible," says Piper. "Too many specific storage solutions would have resulted in a bit of a disjointed design." Instead, the team opted for large drawers that can be divided as needed.
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AFTER: One of the team's major difficulties was figuring out the height location for the cabinetry over the counter. It needed to be low enough to be accessible, but if too low would block the view into the kitchen. In the end, they put little-used and display items in this cabinet and left it up high to fully open up the space.
Dishwasher: Bosch; range: Bluestar 36-inch; hood: Vent-A-Hood; dining table: owner's
Photos courtesy of Kerf Design
Dishwasher: Bosch; range: Bluestar 36-inch; hood: Vent-A-Hood; dining table: owner's
Photos courtesy of Kerf Design
Ideabook updated on July 10, 2012.
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One nit that I have with this article, is that it felt a bit confusing to show the renovated project first, and then the "before" picture near the end of the page.
The long overhead cabinet bugs me. It feels like it's in the way and it's not really doing anything. Maybe it's the angle of the photo, but I think if the overhead were removed, the rest of the design would work better.
Ultimately, I guess I don't really care for any of the upper cabinets. They feel forced. And there's little things that don't look 'right', whatever that means. The too-plain hood over that lovely stove, for example. The two do not work together.
I would worry about the curtain on the window behind the stove. It seems unsafe, and is probably going to be a cleaning nightmare. And why put a curtain on that window and not on the others? Maybe that was just for the photo, to block the light.
I would be very interested in knowing how the re-purposed counter tops hold up to daily life. I like the look, but something about "chalkboard" sounds high maintenance.
Though I have never used chalkboard as a countertop, I would be curious about its longevity, but I think it can be a rather neat place for kids to perch and mark up the counter before lunch!
It's a whimsical kitchen, and I woud think from reading the article that the homeowners are quite happy with it (it's all about the homeowner, ALWAYS, and not about pleasing all of us picky Houzz voyeurs!)
Oh, and xenasmom, what looks like a curtain behind the stove seems to be a trick of the light. It looks to me to be a stainless steel panel behind the stove, but the way it is reflecting the opposite wall makes it look like a window.....other angles of the kitchen show there are no curtains on any of the windows.